Measurement is essential to maintain and improve health and safety performance. [It] provides opportunities to check performance, learn from mistakes, and improve the health and safety management system and risk control.Reviewing is the process of making judgements about the adequacy of performance and taking decisions about the nature and timing of the actions necessary to remedy deficiencies. [The purpose is that] the organisation learns from all relevant experience and applies the lessons.
i. The University requires that its performance on health, safety and welfare is effectively measured and reviewed to ensure compliance with legislation and best practice.
5.1 Measurement
i. Heads of departments must ensure that formal safety inspections of all areas are carried out once a term by those responsible for each area: see Part 2. Staff and students should not wait until the formal inspections to report and resolve hazardous situations. These should be reported to the person responsible for the area using the University accident reporting system: see Part 2.
ii. Accidents and other unplanned events must be monitored by heads of department who must ensure that appropriate effective measures are taken to prevent recurrence; see Part 2.
iii. The Health and Safety department maintains records of all recorded accidents and other unplanned events, monitors trends across the university, and reports on these regularly as set out in Part 2.
iv. Inspections are also carried out by the Health and Safety department with safety representatives or other members of the Health & Safety Committee. The findings of these are reported for action to the corporate manager for the area.
v. Audits of the health, safety and welfare management system and the extent to which performance meets statutory requirements and good practice are organised and reported with recommendations to the relevant corporate managers, and the Health & Safety Committee by the Health and Safety department. Summary findings are also reported to the Corporate Planning and Performance Team and the Board of Governors Audit and Compliance Committee.
5.2 Performance reviews
i. The Corporate Planning and Performance Team will carry out a strategic review of performance and agree strategic objectives for health, safety and welfare for the university at least annually as part of the university's planning process. These objectives will be assigned to specific corporate managers or heads of department as appropriate.
ii. Corporate managers will set operational targets and implementation plans for their areas in line with strategic objectives and operational risks. They will review the plan and attainment of these targets on a periodic basis. They must use the planning and staff review processes to set targets, levels of accountability, and appropriate support for individuals.
iii. Heads of departments are responsible for regularly reviewing safety performance and the effectiveness of risk controls with their staff. Reviews should focus on high risk activities, must take place periodically, give staff the opportunity to raise issues and contribute to improvements, and result in action plans as detailed in Part 2.
iv. Members of staff who carry out staff reviews will address health and safety performance and targets as part of each individual's staff review.
